Aria’s POV
The soft buzz of my phone against the nightstand pulled me from my thoughts. I blinked a few times, squinting at the bright light of the screen, before realizing it was my father calling. My heart skipped a beat, a flutter of anxiety in my chest. It had been a while since we’d talked, and after everything that happened… I wasn’t sure what to say.
I took a deep breath and answered, holding the phone to my ear.
“Aria,” my father’s voice came through, steady and firm, as always. “How are you?”
I hesitated for a moment, trying to find the words. I wasn’t sure what he would think after everything that had happened with Kael and Zander, or how he would feel about Daniel.
“I’m… okay,” I said, my voice quiet. “Better, actually.”
There was a pause on the other end. “Better?” My father’s voice softened, though there was still an edge to it. “What happened, Aria?”
I bit my lip, trying to gather the courage to speak. I knew he wouldn’t like it, but I couldn’t keep things from him anymore. The thought of lying to him, of hiding what had happened with Daniel-of everything that had led to this moment-felt wrong.
“Last night…” I started, my voice shaking a little. “I went to a party, and… things got out of hand. Jason spiked my drink, and I didn’t know what was happening. I… I couldn’t move or think straight. But Daniel-” My voice faltered for a second, the memory of Daniel carrying me out of there, his protective presence, flooding me. “Daniel saved me, Dad. He got me out of there before things could get worse. He took care of me.”
There was a long silence, and I could practically hear my father’s mind working through everything I’d just said.
“Daniel?” he finally asked, his tone sharp. “You’re telling me he… helped you?”
“Yes,” I replied quickly, trying to steady myself. “He made sure I was okay, took care of me. He-he stayed with me the whole time. He didn’t leave me.”
There was another pause, longer this time, before my father spoke again. “Aria, I’ve been trying to protect you. To do what’s best for you. But this isn’t the way-this isn’t how you should be living your life.”
I stiffened, my chest tightening as I waited for the words I’d feared.
“You need to come back to the pack,” he said, his voice firm. “You’ve strayed too far from your duty, from what’s expected of you. This-” He let out a heavy breath. “You can’t continue this way. It’s time for you to come home. To your family. To your place as the future Luna.”
The words hit me harder than I expected. They stirred something deep inside me, a mix of anger and pain. I didn’t want to go back to that life. The pack, the rules, the expectations-it had always felt suffocating. How could I return to a place that had never truly felt like home?
“Dad, I can’t just drop everything and go back,” I said, my voice shaking with frustration. “You know what they’ve done. What Kael did, what Zander-” I cut myself off, unable to continue. “I can’t be a part of that world anymore.”
There was another long pause. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, but still resolute.
“Aria, you’re not safe out there,” he said, the weight of his words pressing on me. “I won’t have you dragged into something darker, something dangerous. You’re part of our pack, and you’re meant to lead it one day. It’s time to come back. For your own safety. For our family’s future.”
I closed my eyes, feeling the sting of the tears that threatened to spill over. He didn’t understand. He never understood what it was like to feel trapped, to feel like you had no choice. I was suffocating under the weight of everyone’s expectations.
“But what about me?” I whispered, almost to myself. “What about what I want, Dad?”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. “You’ll learn, Aria. You’ll see. One day, you’ll understand why this is necessary. I’m doing this because I love you. You are my daughter. You are the future of this pack.”
The words cut through me like a blade, and I couldn’t keep the tears from falling. I wiped my face with the back of my hand, trying to steady myself, but the overwhelming sense of despair kept crashing over me.
“Please, just listen to me,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I need time. I need space. I can’t go back yet. I’m not ready.”
I heard him sigh deeply on the other end. “Aria, this isn’t up for debate. You’re coming back to the pack, and you’ll do your duty.”
I felt the cold weight of his words, and for a moment, I was back in the world I had tried so hard to escape-caught between duty and desire, between family and myself.
“Goodnight, Aria,” my father said, the line going cold. “We’ll talk again soon. I’ll make arrangements for you to come back. It’s time for you to return home.”
The call ended, and I was left alone in the silence, staring at the phone in my hand. The weight of my father’s words hung heavy in the air, suffocating me, making everything feel impossible.
I didn’t want to go back. But what choice did I have?
Taking a deep breath, I leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes. Daniel’s face flashed before me, and I found a strange sense of peace in the thought of him. He had been there for me when I needed someone the most.
But now, it felt like everything was slipping out of my control. The walls of my life were closing in, and I had no idea how to stop it.
For the first time, I felt truly lost.
And no matter how much I tried to convince myself that I could stay free, I knew one thing for sure: I wasn’t done with my past. And it wasn’t done with me.